20-year-old indicted on assault charge

DURHAM — A 20-year-old from Beverly, Mass., has been indicted by a Strafford County Superior Court jury on a charge of assault.

Mark Giles, of 9 Hayes Ave., is accused of assaulting a male housing staffer at The Gables, which is an on-campus apartment complex, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

Giles has been indicted on two counts of second-degree assault. The first count alleges he recklessly caused serious bodily injury to another when he struck the staffer in the head with a champagne bottle.

The second count alleges he recklessly caused bodily injury by means of a deadly weapon by striking the staffer in the head with a champagne bottle. These charges carry a potential sentence of 3½ to 7 years in prison and a fine of $4,000.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt; rather, it means a grand jury believed there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.